Giants training camp: Finding the recipe for home cooking in the Super Bowl

Eli Manning must recover from a 1,000-yard drop in his passing total from 2011 to 2012 for the Giants to find their way back to the playoffs.

(Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger)

After the high of a Super Bowl, the Giants experienced the ultimate hangover: missing the playoffs with the same core in 2012. Eli Manning, Victor Cruz, Justin Tuck and company return for another year more desperate than ever to reach the big game, which is being played at their home stadium. A group of new faces hopes to shore up the run defense, while Cruz, fresh off a new contract, hopes to
continue his rise among the leagues top wideouts.
Here's a look at what could get the Giants over the hump:

Tom Coughlin

A head coach is only as potent as the culture he installs in the locker room, and no one seems to have done that better over the last decade than Tom Coughlin. He’s taken a 6-10 team to 11-5, an 8-8 team to 11-6, and now his challenge is to re-energize a group that missed the playoffs the year after a Super Bowl run. Working in his favor is a core that remains largely unchanged. The leadership hierarchy is well in place and Coughlin, who turns 67 just before Week 1 will look to push his team to a third Super Bowl in 10 years, joining Bill Belichick atop the list of elite modern coaches.

Eli Manning

Manning’s total yards dropped almost 1,000 from 2011 to 2012 but his touchdowns, touchdown rate, interceptions, yards per completion and interception rate all remained fairly consistent. And that may be all the Giants need from Manning — another consistent season at the same clip, while allowing the defense to build around them and the running game to continue to take off some of the pressure.

Time to step up

Ahmad Bradshaw is in Indianapolis, leaving 2011 draft pick David Wilson and Andre Brown as the two running backs slated to take the bulk of the carries. Wilson has explosive potential, highlighted by a 52-yard carry and four total touchdowns last year. Brown had eight total scores, and both players averaged five or more yards per carry.

The pass rush

The defensive line was upgraded, but when it comes to the Giants’ vaunted pass rush, the burden now rests with Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka, who is making the move back to defensive end. Is there a chance Damontre Moore steps up? The unproven rookie had double-digit sacks for Texas A&M last season and has plenty of potential.

Staying healthy

Avoiding the injury bug is a delicate subject for the Giants going into each season and they’ve already lost a key contributor that is still pushing to get back for the season opener (fullback Henry Hynoski). Another, Jason Pierre Paul, is still recovering from back surgery. Remember the 2011 preseason where Terrell Thomas, Domenik Hixon and Marvin Austin all went down?

FOUR DOWNS

What are you expecting from the receivers?

Victor Cruz is entering his third season as a starter and is fresh off signing a contract extension that will keep him in blue through 2018. The Giants’ push to keep him showed his value in the quick-strike offense and with the continued development of Rueben Randle, Cruz (86 catches, 1,092 yards, 10 TDs) should get plenty of opportunities in the open field. Expectations are high for the Paterson native to put up another big season. Hakeem Nicks is the other half of this equation. The Giants are at their best when the true No. 1 is healthy and hauling in passes. After missing three games last year and pushing through pain during most of the others, Nicks’ numbers were down (53 catches, 692 yards, 3 TDs) and the offense dropped from eighth in total yards in 2011 to 14th in 2012.

Is Brandon Myers the next notable Giants tight end?

The Iowa product had 79 catches for 806 yards and four touchdowns in a breakout season with the Raiders last year. For years, the Giants have had little problem bringing in a solid tight end and allowing him to flourish inside the system. The likes of Kevin Boss, Jake Ballard and Martellus Bennett attest to the lineage.

What about the linebackers?

Mark Herzlich has his hands full with competition from the likes of Dan Connor and Aaron Curry, who will no doubt bring the best out of the Boston College standout in training camp. Will experience in the system win out? Or will Curry, a talented former first-round pick, finally show his potential?

Can the Giants defense get off the field?

Stopping the run will be paramount for a team that finished right next to their neighboring Jets toward the bottom of the rush defense rankings last year (129.1 yards/game). They loaded up in the offseason, adding veterans Cullen Jenkins and Mike Patterson and re-signing Shaun Rogers, a 350-pound road block who sat out last season with a blood clot in his leg. They also got quicker at linebacker, bringing in promising pieces like John Connor and Aaron Curry to bolster the defensive line.

WHAT’S NEW

1. A new QB competing for the No. 2 job

Ryan Nassib, who some projected as a first-round pick, slid to the Giants and is primed to compete for the No. 2 job against David Carr. Some rumored Nassib to go to the Bills and slated him as their starter heading into the 2013 season. Will that promise be enough to lift Nassib up the depth chart?

2. Back in Jersey

The Giants opted not to go to Albany during the lockout season, and did the same this year, going along with a league-wide trend to bring training camps back to the team’s facility. Although the Albany environment was a nice change of scenery for fans, the veteran team might appreciate staying close to home.

WHAT’S NOT

1. Contract uncertainty:

Victor Cruz dealt with the questions, especially during a quiet offseason where he chose not to talk about ongoing negotiations. Now, it’s Hakeem Nicks’ turn. The 2009 first-round pick has a deal set to expire at season’s end and could command big money.

2. Uncertainty on the offensive line:

Where will Justin Pugh land? Could David Diehl bump down to guard like offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride mentioned? The Giants have been able to make things work over the past few years but their interest in Pugh shows their push to sure the unit up.